Pre-drawn house plans are those that are drawn by architects or home designers and then offered for sale, unlike those that are drawn for an individual, with input from the customer. While this method may be a great idea, there are definite benefits to purchasing pre-drawn house plans. Architects and home designers that do custom home designing also do a lot of their own designs, and it is these plans that are offered for sale, They are adept at making plans that utilize available space to the best possible advantage, and at laying out a floor plan to optimize curb appeal.

Study Set - This type of home plan includes complete exterior views of your home to be plus floor plans of the upper and lower floors (for two story homes). A study set is useful in helping you determine if you can afford the home you are considering building. Usually excluded from a study set are items such as the roof, foundation and details of the home.

Having a custom drawn designed house means a professional architect applies his skills limited to the individual homeowner's needs or what they have in mind. Factors considered in such a situation are the size of the site of construction, ideas of the individual homeowner, population around the area, and the nationally and locally existing building code plans. Time is also a considerable factor for completion of a custom designed house.

"Some communities promote close neighbors, and some communities promote more breathing space," Martin says. "It's not wise to use up every square foot of building space because you'll have less of a yard." If the lot is located in a suburban neighborhood, consider the placement of windows - take care that they will not align exactly with neighbors' views. Driveways should also be taken into account to make sure that there's plenty of room for parking and turning around.